Shaving lather applicator



May 25, 1965 E. A. LLOYD SHAVING LATHER APPLICATOR Filed Dec. 18, 1963FIG.

FIG. 2

9 KW 0 E T M m. M W W M J 4 M 5% w United States Patent 3,184,779SHAVING LATHER APPLICATOR Eugene A. Lloyd, 23 Bayside Place, Amityvillc,Long Island, N.Y. Filed Dec. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 331,604 1 Claim. (Cl.15-538) This invention relates to applicator devices, and moreparticularly to a device for applying a soapy lather to the skinpreparatory to shaving.

It is a general object of the invention to provide such a device whichis entirely self-contained, i.e., which includes a container orreservoir holding a lather-producing liquid, and an applicator elementfor applying the lather to the skin.

It is another object of the invention to provide such an applicatordevice which is leak-proof so that accidental leakage of thelather-producing liquid from the container is avoided.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shaving latherapplicator which substantially reduces the time required to lather-coatthe area of skin to be shaved.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a shaving latherapplicator having no moving parts and in which the lather producingsubstance is unpressurized.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide an applicator ofthe type described above which is thoroughly practical, light in weight,and extremely inexpensive to manufacture.

More specifically, the invention contemplates the provision of a hollow,compressible container body holding the shaving cream, soap or othersoapy fluent material. The container has a cup fitted in one end, thecup having one or more apertures in it establishing communicationbetween the interior of the cup and the interior of the container body.A sponge or other absorbent element is seated in the cup and a portionof the sponge projects out of the cup. When the container body issqueezed or compressed between the fingers, the soapy fluent material init is forced through the apertures into the cup to impregnate, thesponge. Thus, when the lather-saturated sponge is applied to the skin itwill apply a soapy lather to the desired area.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description in which reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through an applicatorconstructed according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a similar sectional view, showing the sponge impregnated andcoated with lather, and showing the closure cap fitted on the rear endof the container body to enable the device to be rested in uprightcondition on a flat supporting surface.

The applicator chosen to illustrate this invention includes a containerbody or reservoir 1, preferably composed of a relatively soft andcompressible material, such as polyethylene. The container body 1 is oftubular shape and is closed at one end by a rounded integral wall 2. Therounded end 2 is more advantageous than a flat end sincethe rounded enddoes not interfere with the squeezability of the container in the waythat a flat lower wall would. This is important since it is contemplatedthat the applicator of the present invention, in one of its embodiments,may be made very small so that it can be discarded after one or twousings. Consequently, it is desirable for the container body 1 to besqueezable along its entire length.

The opposite end of the container body 1 is initially open, but becomesclosed by the assembly with it of a cup-shaped receptacle 3. Thereceptacle 3 may be composed of a suitable plastic, and is ararnged withits convex side directed inwardly into the interior of the body 1. Thecup 3 is formed with an annular shaped top wall 7 presenting aconstricted mouth 6 defined by the inner edge of the wall 7. The outermargin of the wall 7 projects beyond the side wall of the cup 3 andforms a lip 8 which rests upon the open-end edge of the containerbody 1. The cup 3 may, if desired, be secured to the body 1 by asuitable adhesive.

The body of the cup-shaped receptacle 3 is provided with a plurality oftiny apertures or pin holes 4 through which communication between theinterior of the container body 1 and the interior of the cup 3 isestablished.

An applicator element 10 is located within the cupshaped receptacle 3.The element 10 is preferably a foam plastic sponge, but may consist ofany suitable absorbent material. Advantageously, the element is formedof a multicellular material having relatively small interconnectingcells. The central region of the applicator element is tightlycompressed within the opening 6 in the top wall 7 of the cup, and theelement 10 is thereby securely held against displacement from the cup.Additionally, the cup 3 forms a seat for the element 10 and prevents itsbeing pushed into the container body 1.

Within the container body 1 is a soapy fluent material 5 capable uponagitation of forming a lather suitable for shaving purposes. The holes 4in the cup 3 are made small enough so that the lather producing material5 will not flow through them under the influence of gravity when theapplicator is held up-side-down with respect to the orientation shown inthe drawings. However, should a pressure he applied to the material 5,it will be forced through the holes 4 into the cup 3.

To use the applicator, the cap 9 thereof is removed from the working endof the container body 1 onwhich it is telescopically fitted, as shown inFIG. 1. The container body 1 is then squeezed between the fingers, andthe cream, soap or other fluent substance 5 contained within the body,will be forced from the interior of the body through the holes 4 tothereby impregnate the sponge 10. As the material 5 is forced throughthe holes, foaming will be initiated. Thereafter, as it passes throughthe interstices foaming continues until a lather is produced on thesurface of the sponge as shown at 11 in FIG. 2. Then as the sponge ismoved over the surface of the skin the lather on the sponge istransferred to the skin.

When the device is not in use, the applicator end of the device,including the projecting or exposed part of the sponge 10 can be coveredby the closure cap 9 as shown in FIG. 1. It will be noted that the capis provided with a flat top or end wall 12. If, after the skin has beenlathered, it is desired to rest the applicator upon a supportingsurface, the closure cap 9 can be fitted on the rounded end of thecontainer body 1' as shown in FIG. 2. With the cap 9 in this position,the flat wall 12 thereof permits the applicator to be stood in uprightcondition.

It will be appreciated that the applicator of the present invention isextremely inexpensive to manufacture, has no moving parts, and neednotcontain lather-producing material under pressure. Furthermore,shaving time is substantially reduced since no time is wasted wettingthe skin prior to application of lather, or rinsing the hands or a brushof excess lather. 'The invention has been shown and described inpreferred form only, and by way of example, and many variations may bemade in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit.It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to anyspecific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations areincluded in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

An applicator for fluent material, comprising a hollowcompressible'container body holding the fluent material,

said body being rounded at one end and open at the opposite end, a cupfitted into the open end of said body and extending into said body, thewall of said cup having an aperture which establishes communicationbetween the interior of said body and the interior of said cup, said cuphaving a constricted mouth defined by an annular flange, a spongeextending through the. mouth and being gripped .by said flange, saidsponge being adapted to be impregnated by the fluent material passingthrough said aperture when squeezing pressure is applied to said body,and a closure cap telescopically fittable upon either end of said body,said cap having a flat end wall and References Cited by the ExaminerUNITED STATES PATENTS 3,133,309 5/64 Miles 15-565 FOREIGN PATENTS 7379,075 8/23 Germany.- 390,532 2/24 Germany. 359,799 10/31 GreatBritain.

CHARLES, A. WILLMUTH; Primary Examiner.

